Lesson Plan

Anxiety Detective Plan

Guide a 5th grader to spot and record anxious thoughts like clues, then use detective strategies to ‘catch’ and challenge them, building coping skills and self-awareness.

By framing anxiety as a mystery to solve, this lesson empowers the student to externalize worries, practice evidence-based thinking, and develop self-regulation skills in a fun, relatable format.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Detective Materials

5 minutes

Step 1

Thought Catcher Warm-Up

5 minutes

Step 2

Detective Role Introduction

5 minutes

Step 3

Anxiety Case File Investigation

20 minutes

Step 4

Detective’s Log Reflection

10 minutes

Step 5

Closing and Next Steps

5 minutes

Slide Deck

Clue Board: Searching for Anxious Thoughts

Introduce the Clue Board concept. Explain that just like detectives hunt for clues at a mystery scene, we’ll hunt for clues of anxious thoughts in our minds.

What Is an Anxious Thought?

Define anxious thoughts in kid-friendly language and invite the student to share one example they've noticed recently.

Common Clue Types

Walk through each clue type. Ask the student to name any other clues they’ve noticed in their body or mind.

Detective Questions

Highlight how evidence helps solve the case. Model one example: e.g., worry “I’ll fail the test” then list supporting vs. contradicting evidence.

Ready to Begin Your Case?

Prepare to transition into the Anxiety Case File activity. Emphasize that the Case File is their personal detective notebook.

Lesson Plan

Anxiety Detective Plan

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Prepare Detective Materials

Step 1

Thought Catcher Warm-Up

Step 2

Detective Role Introduction

Step 3

Anxiety Case File Investigation

Step 4

Detective’s Log Reflection

Step 5

Closing and Next Steps

Slide Deck

Clue Board: Searching for Anxious Thoughts

What Is an Anxious Thought?

Common Clue Types

Detective Questions

Ready to Begin Your Case?

Warm Up

Activity

Journal

Can You Catch Anxiety?

Theresa